Background <p>Refrigerated intermodal rail transport is widely used for long-distance freight in Canada, yet limited field data exist on vibration severity experienced by multi-stacked refrigerated containers.</p> Purpose <p>This study aims to characterize vibration and climatic conditions during long-distance refrigerated intermodal rail transport in Canada.</p> Methods <p>Sensors were mounted to represent both the palletized unit load and the container’s rigid structure at the bottom and top positions within double-stack railcars. Mechanical hazards were quantified using power spectral density, root mean square acceleration, and time-domain event analysis.</p> Results <p>Vibration severity was highest vertically, at top-stack locations, and on pallet-mounted sensors during the transcontinental route; pallets showed greater high-frequency content above 100 Hz, and top stacks had more dynamic events. The top container recorded 1.6× higher peak and 2.2× higher average vertical acceleration than the bottom container and was 2.2× more likely to exceed thresholds, with vertical exceedance more frequent than lateral or longitudinal. Stack and mount position significantly affected lateral and vertical vibration energy, especially in the 15–200 Hz range. Frequency mapping associated 1–4 Hz with suspension response, 15–100 Hz with wheel–rail interaction, and 100–200 Hz with structural resonance, with top positions showing broader mid-to-high frequency energy. A rail-specific test spectrum contained 3.4× more energy than ISTA 3H and was 7.4% more severe than the most aggressive ASTM 4149 spectrum, suggesting current standards underrepresent Canadian refrigerated rail conditions.</p> Conclusions <p>Overall, the results support route-informed test protocols and frequency-targeted packaging design for multi-stacked refrigerated rail shipments.</p> Graphical Abstract <p></p>